Unrig the System

I’m in New Orleans at the “Unrig the System” conference with lots of folks talking about ways to get big money out of politics and curb the power of corporations. I’ll be posting video interviews soon! Stay tuned!

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Oh look … the blatherings of a deluded child ( intellectually , philosophically , logically and emotionally ) once again find their way onto these pages .

Get a grip gdd ! Your 1848 communist manifesto theories and agendas failed more miserably than capitalism at its very worst ( which has had its fair share of pretty damn significant failures ) despite communism having had some 170 years to sort itself out

Leading to the conclusion that you’ve yet to offer so much as a ‘ Bandaid ‘ … never mind a ‘fix’ for the current debacle we’re in . Fact is .. everything you’ve presented and propagated to date .. would only serve to exacerbate and multiply all the current problems to a factor of ten

Which means you’ve got nothing what so ever to complain about or criticize ..

… especially in light of the fact that you do not VOTE … nor do you PARTICIPATE in any way shape or form in the process other than posting your digital effluence and excrement across the digisphere from behind the safety of your precious little screen

FYI ; The current reality is … regardless of whether you post … or not … comment .. or not … reply .. or not .. you make yourself out to be the pseudo intellectual fool that you are … ..

.. oh … but hang on … on second thought … calling the likes of you a pseudo intellectual is an insult to all those genuine pseudo intellectuals in the world . That fact is .. what you are .. is nothing more than an ..

Welcome to the real world … as well as the big leagues sparky … and once again I raise the internationally recognized single digit salute of disdain to you … which in reality is more than your hypocritical heretical little self deserves

We’ve heard the long bull-run in bonds [rising prices/falling interest rates] was about to end. So when bond market interest rates rose by 2.85% [highest in 4 years], fears grew that the cheap money inflow into financial markets [from Federal Reserve Inc. and major central banks] was ending. In the midst of a 40% rise since Trump’s election, the Dow Jones fell by 666 points in last Friday’s Wall Street sell-off. Driving this was a modest 2.9% rise in US wages. Fears are that after 4 decades of wage suppression/declining working class living standards, the mechanisms of repressing are breaking down and class struggle is about to resume.

Isn’t it intriguing that after debunking Marx’ Labor Theory of Value and declaring him dead for the thousand’s time, Capitalist political economy does something to resurrect him!

In the aftermath of the 2008 global fiscal crisis, the world’s major fiscal institutions were subsidized by governments and central banks which pumped trillions into the fiscal system, enabling an historically unprecedented redistribution of wealth into the hands of a global capitalist oligarchy. The major mechanism for plundering the world economy was a huge run-up on stock and bond markets, which was based in turn on continual decline in working class wages and social conditions. Stock markets climbed to record heights, and billions upon billions were made – sometimes nearly overnight.

Question: Would that be possible if the US and other major capitalist countries faced a rising tide of class struggle?

Frank Shaeffer would just love these guys using art to get across a message in this mostly republican wealthy town and I applaud them in this early shot at the war against Ryan.

Who does Ryan hate the most?

Why the Postal service and seniors and the disabled on Social Security that’s who and folks in the Wisconsin first Congressional District have a clear choice to make and so will they make the correct choice for their friends and neighbors?

Nine … re; ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL … Amen brother … and again I say amen .

( suffice it to say when gdd is making claims to the opposite he’s regurgitating 1848 ideologies from an era when monarchies ruled the roost across Europe and our American Democratic Republic was still an experiment in the making )

And though these efforts to get big money out of politics where they’ve been firmly ensconced since the beginning of the written history of politics across the board from monarchies to democracies including every attempt at communism socialism etc will end up as an exercise in futility ..

.. at least some effort is being made .

Thought in all honesty knowing the .1% as I do first hand .. the better effort would be to convince the .1% that by supporting the current state of hyper capitalism verging on Ayn Randian anarcho capitalism being flaunted by the GOP and its cult leader Trump … they are crushing the very goose ( middle class ) thats been laying the very golden eggs their wealth was and still is built upon . Which is to say currently they are being very short sighted .. shooting themselves in the foot in the long run .

e.g. We need another Teddy Roosevelt like figure to rise from among the extremely wealthy …

But ahhh … Nine … lets give Ryan what ( very ) little credit the psychotic little SOB deserves … e.g. .. currently he’s the only leader within the GOP thats standing up against Drumpf’s attacks on the Justice and Intelligence departments

Nine,
I’m encouraged by Schaeffer’s efforts but there is so much money behind these people that it feels we are on a runaway train. I guess as you say time will tell and perhaps as these horrible National policies come home to roost the masses will be motivated locally. It feels like a David and Goliath situation at present wherein it would take a miracle to set things right. I was gullible after Obama was elected and I even wrote him encouraging letters. Now I feel like a fool. I look back to when I first paid attention to politics and it was Reagan. He raped the middle class and the hits just keep on coming. You know where my heart is online. Most of what interests me lies there and transcends politics local or otherwise. I comment here because you believe in Frank. You are not an arse. You are my friend and I was too cowardly to take up for you but I’m still here and I’m still a volunteer. I will vote for democrats just like I always do. Gordon Duff tried to warn us. I can barely stand to read him these days because I know he is privy to what is really going on and the situation is dire. I fear these evangelicals because there is nothing more frightening in my view than ignorance coupled with arrogance. We shall persevere. Will we overcome? Perhaps not in this life but there’s always Valhalla.
Your friend,
Tara

” You know where my heart is online. Most of what interests me lies there and transcends politics local or otherwise ”

That .. along with your entire reply to Nine .. is perhaps the saddest statement I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading online by anyone .

You have my deepest sympathies that your life is so shallow , your existence so vapid and your ability to discern fact from manufactured ( for profit ) and created fiction / conspiracy theory so entirely lacking that you so willingly place your heart and mind in the hands of an internet that in truth only cares about your clicks and views in order to further its profit and in fact is the very epitome of an Ayn Rand dystopia .

Suffice it to say .. your time , efforts and emotions would be better spent cultivating face to face relationships as well as READING books and actual news rather than fake for profit only bs such as veteranstoday ( who’s sole intent is to play on the fears and emotional frailty of our vets .. for profit ) …. along with placing the frailty and fragility of the human heart in the hands of an inhuman and inhumane bundle of ephemeral zeros and ones .

As for Valhalla .. if the last 3000 years of science and philosophy has taught you nothing else .. it should of at least taught you that the fictional myths of the ancients are just that .. fictional myths .. created in their own image … .. ” … to be read and enjoyed as the wondrous creative fiction and myth that they are .. but NOT to be believed in ” ( JRR Tolkien )

As far as Nine .. or anyone else online being friends ? I may address Nine etc occasionally as friend as a familiar and friendly greeting .. but consider no one for whom I have no face to face contact to be a friend.. and nor should you .

To be honest Tara … you are endemic of everything that is wrong with this world at present and especially the internet . Digitally dependent as well as digitally addled .

In closing … unlike gdd or GB I will wish you no ill … only that you someday dig yourself out of the Rabbit Hole you’ve for what ever reason become trapped in .. come to your senses and start living a REAL life regardless of your handicaps … and that you finally realize the only place where your faith really belongs . I shall keep you in my prayers … but full discloser .. I will not hesitate for a second to call bs for what it is either . Though in your case I will maintain a level of civility until such time as you prove yourself no longer worthy of that civility

In as far as Frank’s efforts which in reality are an exercise in abject futility regardless of his good intentions because in the world of politics and religion he currently has zero credibility and even less influence despite his past … perhaps Frank would be well served to read or re-read Bonhoeffer’s ” The Cost of Discipleship ” … taking its message than one cannot sacrifice one’s self on the cross as Christ did * to heart ..

… and spend more time with his family as well as addressing the things he still does have a modicum of credibility and influence with .. rather than wasting his time and money crossing the country in pursuit of a long past glory and fame

Truly … Frank is an example of the destructiveness and addiction of fame/celebrity .. with few who’ve tasted its poisonous fruits walking away unscathed .. including myself ( though ultimately I did walk away )

In closing … the words of the bard Jim Morrison … which thru out the ages has been misinterpreted by many as referring to drugs / alcohol … when in reality he was referring to fame and celebrity when he said ;

” No one here gets out alive ”

* Unfortunately once push came to shove Bonhoeffer was too proud to take his own good advice .

In addendum Nine … when it comes to the .1% … if we insist on continuing to try and make it an Us versus Them conflict … we … ( those of us not in the top .1% ) are destined to lose .

Rather … we must make them realize that the Us needs to include all of Us … because not doing so will only prove detrimental to one and all …. including Them

Question is … in and amongst that .1% … is there anyone left that is not addled by their wealth and clear headed enough to realize that ?

Other than Michael Bloomberg … who is currently so disheartened by the state of the country and the crap and lies that goes on online etc that he no longer can find the motivation to fight any further … I’m sure as hell not seeing one

Sigh … register to vote …. then DO vote ‘D’ … but in the meantime … apply for or renew your passports

‘…when it comes to the .1% … if we insist on continuing to try and make it an Us versus Them conflict … we … ( those of us not in the top .1% ) are destined to lose .

Rather … we must make them realize that the Us needs to include all of Us … because not doing so will only prove detrimental to one and all …. including Them.’

We agree.

Problem is, the social-economic interests of the 90% are VASTLY different from the ‘next 9%.’

Your strategy is based on forging an alliance with the 1%. That is Marxist orthodoxy.

When push comes to shove — and it will — the petty bourgeoisie will 100% of the time side with the 1% AGAINST the 90%. Your own rhetoric demonstrates that the ‘next 9%’ holds the 90% in utter contempt.

I’ve said it many times … and here’s a prime example to prove the point of how the Roman Catholic church in America is rapidly joining hands with the evangelical and fundamentalist communities in falling down the Rabbit Hole of Christofascim ;

Mr. Martin,
You are such a bore that I don’t even bother reading your exasperating, self serving, and oh so long winded comments. Why do you come on here? You obviously pine for your own blog as you repeatedly attempt to over shadow Schaeffer. I see right through you. You don’t possess the balls to create your own blog so you’ve latched on to this one like a parasite. Good luck in the future with your vile endeavors. I was talking to Nine, not you, but then you can’t help yourself can you? I have nothing more for you.
Tara

LOL! Welcome to the club, girlfriend. I stopped reading comments by the trolls on this blog a while ago. I wrote Frank an email about the trolls flaming his blog. I enjoy listening to Frank’s commentaries and believe it is important to have conversations about our nation’s public policies. But some folks just don’t have the ability to have a civil conversation. So don’t give the trolls the satisfaction of responding to them; just skip their comments. You will be glad you did. All the best. Cheers.

I wish to live in peace! Did you see the sculpture about Trump I posted about from Lake Geneva Wisconsin as that is an example of what Frank Shaeffer is all about the concept of using art to challenge and motivate and educate the society around us.

Now to Veterans Today and its Senior editor Gordon Duff. Mr. Duff is always right in his analysis as one can certainly disagree with him as its your right but one does so at his/her peril!

That article above you can take or leave and I do not care nor do I need any money as neither does VT writers need any money as it is self funded journalism!

You simply ignore at your peril as does our dear NY Times tell the truth about our serial wars?
Well, in the mean time I shall follow Gordon Duff’s advice to support the democratic party as I was a life long Republican until recently.

Gordon Duff hates Trump as much as Frank does and I will tell you 99.99% of the “internet” political Blogs are republican supporting entities as who funds these sites? At least VT with its flaws is self funded and just for that its worth a read.

Just 10 day’s ago, Trump addressed the summit of global elites in Davos, Switzerland. He claimed that a rising stock market that was ‘smashing one record after another’ proved the virtues of his economic policies. Yet since last Friday, the Dow has dropped 1,800+ points, obliterating all the gains it’s made this year. Every sector of the broad-based S&P 500 was down – financial stocks, industrial stocks, and energy. Meanwhile, the Vix [volatility index] rose by 117%.

The sell-off that began Friday was triggered by the report that average wages in the US rose by 2.9%. That’s less significant than what that MEANS.

When Alan Greenspan became chairman of the Federal Reserve Inc. board, he announced that the fiscal spigots would be opened to sustain the market. In ever period of turbulence, the ‘Greenspan put’ has been set in motion.

Signs in Europe, the US and elsewhere point to a resurgence of working class wage militancy. Working class push-back against decades of wage cutting can force an end to what has been a central part of US monetary policy over 3 decades. This can put some 12% of US companies which are ‘zombie companies,’ into bankruptcy.

This will force the Democrat Party to reveal itself as a ruling class faction fundamentally OPPOSED to the working class.

I think we need many more articles condemning socialism as a monumental failure. Under present conditions, I’m confident that interest in socialism is only going to grow.